The (digital) ink has barely dried on our iPhone 16 review, and we're already deep into iPhone 17 rumor season, with one reliable source suggesting that display upgrades will be in store when Apple's refresh arrives in 2025.
This comes from well-known industry analyst Ross Young (via 9to5Mac), who says that the two cheaper iPhone 17 models will have the same always-on display and ProMotion technology that was previously exclusive to the Pro and Pro Max phones.
This means an upgrade to LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) display technology needed to reduce power consumption and support a variable refresh rate, up to 120Hz (or down to 1Hz) when needed.
However, while Young initially predicted that Face ID would be integrated into the display of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, he later said that was a misunderstanding, so we'll have to wait a little longer to see any progress in that department.
Pro vs non-Pro
If the less expensive iPhone 17 models do indeed feature LTPO display technology next year, there will be less of a distinction between those variants and the Pro and Pro Max, though the latter phones could still feature better cameras and faster processors.
This also ties in with another rumor we've heard about next year's iPhone refresh: that the iPhone 16 Plus will be replaced not by another Plus model, but by an iPhone 17 Air, perhaps with a slimmer, sleeker design at the same price.
Of course, Apple has already used the same branding with the iPad Air and MacBook Air, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise if the name was added to one of the iPhone 17 models as well. However, we'll have to wait almost another 12 months to find out for sure.
This isn't the only rumor that's surfaced about the iPhone 17: there's also been talk of the 2025 iPhones getting improved selfie cameras and an increase in RAM, along with the usual performance boost.
